Boy who would be president discovers artistic side

STOCKTON - When Donnie Huynh was in sixth grade, he had a vision of being Manlio Silva Elementary School's class president.

Keith Reid

STOCKTON - When Donnie Huynh was in sixth grade, he had a vision of being Manlio Silva Elementary School's class president.

So, as a self-proclaimed conservative Republican at the time, he ran.

With a whirlwind campaign of Nixon-esque peace signs and promises to start a school-wide recycling program that would pay for pizza parties, the 11-year-old wowed his classmates.

It was a celebrated feat. Donnie, who has autism, had won over his peers in a way that his parents, Tim and Candy Huynh, had never anticipated. All his life, Donnie had avoided eye contact and had been noticeably aloof in terms of social norms, despite being a high academic achiever.

In sixth grade, he stepped out of his comfort zone and made his campaign speech in front of his classmates. The votes were his, and he recalls delivering on his promise of a school-wide pizza party, paid for by a recycling drive.

Fast-forward five years, and Huynh is no longer in politics. At 16, he is a high school graduate and a skilled artist, and he is enrolled at both San Joaquin Delta College and Western Governor's University, an accredited online college aimed at "non-traditonal students" that has been endorsed by 19 governors and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and has offices in Salt Lake City, according to its website.

As an 11-year-old running for class president, Donnie was an energetic kid who won over adults with polite gestures in a candid and genuine tone. As a teenager, he remains polite and honest, even though he doesn't naturally express himself verbally.

He answers questions slowly but thoughtfully. One word answers or very short descriptions of his interests are not uncommon during a complex conversation.

It's unlikely that he will live independently as an adult, but his family fully expects that he will be hired to a full-time job based on his skills and work ethic - all of which he acquired through hours of work his parents have put in to help him understand the importance of social skills along with school work.

It's important to the Huynhs that Donnie be able to earn some money to set aside for a time when his parents are too elderly to care for him, but they are more interested in him finding work so that he can lead a productive and fulfilled live, Tim Huynh said.

Donnie attended Stockton Early College Academy and graduated from the Lincoln Academy home school program. He passed with all A's.

Tim Huynh said his family didn't seek many of the region's vast swath of services for autistic youth. Donnie did have an aide when he attended seventh grade at Christa McAuliffe Middle School. Otherwise, the family has let him rely on his academic strengths and allowed him to express himself through drawings.

His notebook reveals detailed Japanese anime-style artwork and a skill for drawing cartoon figures ranging from Daffy Duck to Captain Kirk.

"I'm amazed," Tim Huynh said. "He has not had formal art classes. He just taught himself."

Donnie likes physics and science. He said he wants to earn a doctorate in physics. He also wants to study business like his father, a developer and property manager.

"Who knows? He might draw political cartoons," Tim Huynh said. "We're just happy for his success."